Video of biting crocodile goes viral

Everglades Outpost volunteer uses GoPro camera to record croc native to South Florida

Posted: 2:03 PM, March 21, 2014Updated: 2:03 PM, March 21, 2014

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - You could say a video going viral is a "croc" but there is nothing phony about it.

Chris Madden is a volunteer at the Everglades Outpost, a nonprofit nature preserve and sanctuary in Homestead that has a vast collection of wild animals that have been rescued.

"I call him Big Boy," said Madden. "He is a 13 1/2-foot American crocodile that lives here at the Outpost."

Madden wanted to get some point-of-view video of Big Boy and maybe some attention for the Outpost, so he made a PVC housing to go on top of his brand new GoPro camera.

"I was just trying to get some underwater shots of him and as soon as the camera touched the water near him, he went berserk as you can see," said Madden. "As soon as anything touches the water, he is in and looking to do some damage."

The croc is native to South Florida and likes brackish water.

"They are generally kind of shy," said Madden. "There are not nearly as many of them as there are alligators, but there is always that possibility that you could bump into one."

Big Boy will chomp down on just about anything but once he gets that rat into his mouth, he knows it's food and it will get swallowed. The GoPro camera -- he spit that out.

Unfortunately for Madden, the GoPro did not survive its very first camera shoot thanks to Big Boy.

"The tooth just jammed right through the lens and since he was in the water, it flooded and got fried," said Madden.

Madden managed to distract Big Boy and fish out the camera, and a viral video was born but Madden was out a camera.

"I had bought it the day before and somehow, thank God, it was covered under the return policy," said Madden. "Well, it is an action camera. They are supposed to be able to take abuse, I guess?"

Madden couldn't believe Sports Authority had a croc warranty but he said he doesn't plan on pushing it.

"I seriously doubt that they will let me do it again," Madden said.

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